Recorder



Jam. 15, 1946. c. E. POTTER ETAL RECORDER VFiled Jan. 25, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. l5, 1946. c. E. POTTER rs1-Al.`

RECORDER Filed Jan. 23, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan, 15, 1946. c. E. POTTER ET A1.

RECORDER Filed Jan. 23, 1942 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. l5, 1946. c. E. POTTER ET A1.

- RECORDER Filed Jan. 23, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Jan. 15, 1946 RECORDER Charles E. Potter, Richmond Heights, and James W. Kendall, St. Louis, Mo.; said.Kendall assignor to said Potter Application J anuary' 23, 1942, Serial No. 427,894

3 Claims.

This invention relates to recorders, of the type adapted to record on a tape electric signals transmitted by a code wheel. In such a case the code wheel transmits a series of identical electrical impulses, identification of the signal being established by .the number and sequence or grouping of the impulses. The use of such systems is common and particularly for i'lre alarms, burglar alarms, sprinkler system supervision, and the like. This invention is concerned solely with the recorder, or register as it is generally known in the industry. More particularly it relates to the printing mechanism in such a recorder.

Heretofore such recorders have sometimes employed a rotating pen which is inked with an inking roller, but such devices are not wholly satisfactory. An object of this invention is to provide improved printing mechanism which employs a type bar and inked ribbon.

Another object of the invention is to provide inking mechanism employing a type bar and inked ribbon in which the record will be immediately visible to an operator or observer standing in a natural position beside the recorder.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in apparatus of the character described, a type which will utilize the maximum surface of the ribbon without undue wear thereon.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Flg. i is a side elevational view of the recorder;

Fig. 2 is a plan view with the top cover plate of the motor housing removed;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view;

Fig. 4 is a strip of recording tape with a record thereon;

Fig. 5 is a perspective showing separately much of the printing mechanism.

Fig. 6 is an exploded view showing the arrangement and mounting of certain operating parts;

Fig. 'I is a detail perspective View of detent mechanism.

The device as illustrated includes a spring motor, duplex electromagnets, Sounders or relays, and printing mechanism, the arrangement being such that the electromagnets responding to incoming signals trip the motor for advancing the tape, as well as operate type bars for printing on the tape. As specifically illustrated, the motor and the electromagnets, together with the con.-r nections to the electromagnets for tripping the motor, and the means for advancing the tape, are old and of a commercial design. The device includes novel means operated by the motor for (ci. 2x4-27.5)

advancing the inked ribbon and novel printing mechanism. The electromagnets respectively operate type bars which are a part of the printing mechanism, as well as trip the motor for advancing the tape and the ribbon.

The housing for the motor is mounted on a bas I and includes side walls 2 and 3, a front wall 4, and a rear wall 5. The rotating parts of the motor are supported by or journalled in the side walls 2 and 3. The motor includes a spring barrel 6 on a shaft 1, to which is secured a gear 8. The spring of the motor is wound by a shaft 9 (Fig. 1).

The gear 8 drives a tape advancing wheel I0 through a chain of gears, the gear 8 meshing with a. pinion I I on a shaft I2 to which is also attached a gear I3. The latter gear drives a pinion I4 on a shaft I 5 which has a gear I6, the gear IB driving a pinion I I secured to a shaft I8 to which the wheel III is fastened.

An idling wheel I9 is journalled on the end of an arm 20 pivotally supported on the-wall 2 and held down by a spring 2 I. Tape T passes between the toothed wheel I0 and the idling wheel I9 and upon or over a shelf 2 la secured to the outer side of the wall 2, as best shown in Fig. 1.

A bracket 22 supports a reel 23 for holding the supply roll of tape T. This bracket is supported on the front face of the front wall 4. In Fig. 2 the bracket is shown as broken away and the reel is not shown in order that the remaining part of the mechanism may be more clearly represented.

The means for blocking and releasing the motor is now described. The gear I6 drives a pinion 24 on a shaft 25, the shaft 25 being threaded, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. A toothed escapement wheel 26 is secured to the shaft 25 and is engaged by an anchor 21 pivotally mounted on a rod 28 for the purpose of maintaining a constant speed. A pin 29 extends radially from the shaft 25, as specifically shown it being fastened in the hub of the gear 26. n I'he pin 29 engages a detent 30, released by the electromagnets and advanced to engaging position by means of the screw threads on the shaft 25.

The detent mechanism which includes the detent pin 30 for engagement with the rotating pin 29, is old and of commercial design and well understood in the art but may be briefly explained. An upstanding bar 3| is hinged near the bottom of the housing and carries at its upper end the laterally extending pin 30 and a pin 32 whose end engages in the threads on .the shaft 25. This upstanding bar 3I is engaged and moved by a cross bar 33 when either of the electromagnets un, u and m, ua) is energized. The

movement of the bar 33 is inwardly or from right to left, Fig. 2, to disengage the pin 32 from the screw, while a spring 34 moves the bar 3| laterally until it engages the end of an adjustable stop screw 35. The screw 35 is locked by a nut 35a. When the electromagnets (40, 4I or 40a, 4|a) are de-energized the spring 34 pulls the bar forward so that the end of the pin 32 engages in the screw threads. Then while the motor operates the shaft turns, moving the end of the upstanding bar 3| laterally until the end of the pin is moved into the path of the rotating pin 29 in the position shown in Fig. 2. Thereupon the motor is stopped. The construction of the detent mechanism is such that upon action of the electromagnet the motor is released and continues running for a predetermined amount after any action of the electromagnet.

The connections between the cross bar 33 and the electromagnets 40, 4| and 40a, 4Ia will be later described. It may be understood for the present, however, that when either electromagnet is energized the bar 33 will be pushed inwardly to disengage the pin 32 from the threads on the sha-ft 25, as previously explained. The arrangement is such that upon each signal the pin 3|) moves out of the path ofl the pin 29 to release the motor and does not move back into engaging position until the motor has run a predetermined amount after the last action of the electromagnet.

In recorders such as these the electromagnets are usually in pairs, although in some cases a single electromagnet is used. They are made in pairs for economys sake so that one device may record two different circuits. Or the electromagnets may be connected' with a single circuit, and

grounded in such a manner that one electromagnet will record all signals coming from one side of a break in the electrical circuit, while the other electromagnet will record all signals coming from the other side of the break The electromagnets each have aY pair of coils 4B and 4| (or 48a and 4|a). Since the electromagnets 4U, 4| and 40a, 4|a and their respective connected mechanisms are substantially the same, only one need be described, except where there are differences. The parts and mechanism appertinent to one magnet will be numbered, and the same numbers with the symbol a will be applied to the respective parts of the other.

The electromagnet 40, 4| has an armature 42 attached to an arm 43 of a bell crank lever pivoted on a shaft 44 and having adownwardly eX- tending arm 45. Both arms 43 and 43a are pivoted on the same shaft 44. The arms 45 and 45a engage the outer ends ci horizontal bars 4B and 46a respectively, which have their inner ends connected to the cross bar 33. This engagement is through adjustable tappet screws 41 and 41a respectively. It will now be seen that upon operation of either electromagnet (49, 4| or 40a, 4|a) the arm 43, or 43a, will move downwardly and cause the bars 4S and 45a to move inwardly and thereby, through the mechanism which has previously been described, release the spring motor for its operation to advance the tape T.

The mechanism so far described in detail is not novel, but is oi commercial structure. The invention herein relates to printing mechanism operated by, associated with, and in combination with the spring motor and electromagnets already described.

The arms 43 and 43a are secured respectively to bosses 48 and 48a and are rigidly connected by means presently described to tappet arms 49 and 49a having adjustable tappet screws 50 and 50a. The boss 48 has the arm 49 secured directly to its outer end, while the boss 48a (unitary with the arm 43a) is pinned to a sleeve 48h, to the outer end of which the arm 43a is secured. Any convenient method of attaching the arms 49 and 49a to the boss 48 and the sleeve 4Gb respectively may be employed. As specifically shown the arms 49 and 49a have split bosses which are tightened on their respective parts by screws in a conventional manner.

The shaft 44, bosses 48 and 48a and the sleeves 48h are coaxial, the sleeve 48h passing entirely through the boss 48 and the shaft 44 passing entirely through the sleeve 48h. Thus, in Fig. 3, the right electromagnet 40a, 4|a has its armature 42a connected to the arm 43a, which is secured to the boss 48a and the sleeve 48b. This sleeve 48h is connected to tbe left or outer tappet arm 49a. The armature 42 with its arm 43 is attached to the boss 48 to whose outer end is secured the tappet arm 49. It will be understood that the arm 43 which is secured to the armature 42 is rigidly connected with the tappet arm 49 and pivoted on the shaft 44, whereby the arm 43 and the arm 49 form in effect a double arm crank. When the armature 42 is depressed by the electromagnet the end of the tappet arm 49 will also be depressed.

The shaft 44 is journalled in and supported by a bracket 5I, secured to the front wall 4, and a bracket 52 secured to the side wall 2. Type bars 53 and 53a are mounted on a common pivot 54 supported on the end of a bracket 55, which is secured to the side wall 2. The inner end of the type bar 53 carries the type 56 while the outer end has a roller 51 which is engaged by the head of the tappet screw 5U. The inner end of the type bar 53 rests upon a circular rubber cushion I8, eccentrically mounted for ready adjustment.

A pair of ribbon spools 59 and 64 for ink ribbon R are supported by a bracket 9| secured to the side wall 2, The spool. 59 is secured to a shaft 62 to which is also secured a pulley 63. A belt 64 connects the pulley 63 and a pulley i5 secured to the shaft i2, which is driven directly through the pinion by the gear 8. It will thus be seen that the spring motor advances the ribbon R. whenever the motor runs as it does upon release by the electromagnets.

A block or platen 66 is secured to and supported by a plate 61 on the outer face of the wall 2. The bottom face of the block 66 acts as a. platen for the ribbon R. A front plate or bracket 68 is secured to the block 86 by screws 69. The plates 61 and 68 are spaced from each other by the block 66 and support ribbon guide rollers 'I0 and 1| in such a manner that the ribbon extends from the reel 59 about the roller l0 across the bottom o! the block or platen 66 and under the roller 1I to the spool 60.

The plate 51 also carries tape guide pins 12 and 13. As shown in Eg. 1, the tape extends from the reel 23 under the pin 12, over the pin 13, and below the platen i6 and the ribbon R. between the wheels l0 and IS and across the shelf Ila.

The type bars 53 and 53a are mounted so that the type 56 and 58a are beneath the platen 8l. When either of the type bars is operated in response to an impulse through the electromagnet, its type strikes upward making a printing impression on the upper side of the tape T. The tape runs ont quickly so that the recording is in plain view of an observer standing tion before the recorder.

Each type consists of a single bar set oblique to the threads of the ribbon, thus making a diagonal mark M on the tape T, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. There is a dual purpose to this diagonal symbol: it is quickly read and at the same time gives maximum wear to the ribbon. Wear on the ribbon is also reduced because the tape is interposed between the type and the ribbon.

A summary recapitulation of the operation of the device will assist in understanding the invention.

Such a device or recorder is connected in a circuit or circuits so that it will record signals transmitted from several distant stations or transmitters. A transmitter usually includes a code wheel which makes and breaks the circuit in predetermined groupings, and each transmitter connected to the recorder has a differently arranged code wheel. 'I'he signals recorded comprise a series of symbols, each alike, a signal being recognized by the number and grouping of symbols. Thus the source of the signal is determined by such number and grouping. In the present invention it is intended that the electromagnets 40, 4| and 40a, 4Ia be connected in such a circuit, to be energized in accordance with the arrangement of a code wheel which makes and breaks the circuit.

When either electromagnet (40, 4| or 40a, 4|a) is energized the armature 42 or 42a is depressed, thereby pushing inward the rods 46 and 46a and the cross bar 33 to release the motor. By reason of the connection between the threads on the shaft 25 and the pin 32, the motor will operate for a short time after the last impulse through the electromagnets. The motor operates to turn the tape advancing wheel I and to turn the pulley 65 on the shaft I2 for running the ribbon. The armature 42 being connected with the tappet arm 49 as a bell crank lever, the depression of the armature 42 will depress the tappet arm 49 in a natural posito operate the type bar 53 causing the type 56 to strike the tape T` upon the ribbon R beneath platen 66, thereby placing an imprint of the type upon the top surface of the tape T.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction, within the scope of the appended claims, parts of the invention may be used to advantage without the whole, and additions and improvements may be added while securing the full advantage of the original invention.

I claim:

1. A recorder comprising a spring motorl an electromagnet, a detent operated by the electromagnet for releasing the motor, a platen, tape advancing mechanism operated by the motor arranged and adapted to advance the tape across the platen, an inked ribbon mounted in part on a spool turned by the motor and across the platen adjacent the tape, and a type bar operated by the electromagnet and positioned to strike the tape and ribbon in juxtaposition.

2. In a recorder having a motor, an electromagnet controlling the motor, and tape advancing means operated by the motor, the improvement comprising a pivoted type bar positioned to strike the tape, a lever having one arm secured to an armature of the electromagnet and a second armv positioned as a tappet to strike and thereby operate the type bar upon energization of the electromagnet.

3. In a recorder having a motor, an electromagnet controlling the motor, motor release mechanism, and tape advancing means operated by the motor, the improvement comprising a pivoted type bar positioned to strike the tape, a lever having one arm secured to an armature of the electromagnet, an arm engaging the motor release mechanism, and a third arm positioned as a tappet to strike and thereby operate the type bar upon energization of the electromagnet.

CHARLES E. POTTER. JAMES W. KENDALL. 

